Genuine
by Sophie Ranier
Summary: Dedicated to all of those brave men and women risking their lives every day for our safety. And then men and women and children that wait strongly at home, giving them a reason to fight;; Slight TIVA.


**My second cousin just got back from Iraq after 6 months, he might have to go back after Christmas, but it'll be good seeing him during the holidays, even though we're not really close with that side of the family. **

**So you're probably wondering, Samm, that's a nice story and all, but why are you telling us this? On fanfiction? We just want another story!**

**Well, this story sprung from that idea.**

**Okay, enough Samm.**

**It's a little smidgen of love to our troops and something that's close to my heart seeing how many people in my family serve/served in the armed forces. **

**Disclaimer: Haha, you're funny bro.**

* * *

_Rule 27: There are two ways to follow. 1__st__ way- they never notice you; 2__nd__ way- they only notice you._

_._

Airports.

People coming, people going.

People greeting, people saying farewell; for days, for months, for years, forever.

Ziva takes a deep breath, quickly scanning her surrounding area. With another glance at her watch, she takes a seat next to a blonde woman around her age, a two month old girl cradled in her arms.

The woman takes notice in Ziva as soon as she sits; her blue jeans, crisp white Old Navy shirt with a faded American flag pressed on the middle, and a small American flag clutched tightly in her fist. She is sitting at the edge of her seat, eyes frantically searching the sky as she sits outside gate 23.

And she's playing the role perfectly.

Although Ziva's eyes are in another world, the blonde gives her a smile and at her first word, Ziva hesitantly rips her eyes off of the sky and give half attention to the woman.

"Waiting for someone too?" the woman asks curiously, shifting the sleeping baby in her arms. The little girl is wrapped in a light blue blanket, and a red, white, and blue beanie covers her soft head.

"Uh, yes, my husband." Ziva smiles, eyes still flickering in between words as she speaks.

The woman notices the small diamond ring on her left ring finger.

"Me too." The woman says softly, twisting her lips to the right for a moment.

Ziva lets her eyes drift back to the blonde woman; she looked down at the baby. "She's beautiful." She smiles. "How old?"

The woman's once lonely eyes light up. "Two months, Jacob, my husband, hasn't met her yet. He's been on tour for 6 months."

Ziva dubs a softer smile. "Mine has been gone a year, we do not have any kids though." At the last second, she almost changed the time to six months, but she has to stick with the story. She hates herself for lying to his innocent woman.

Across the terminal McGee sits, an old Time magazine opened up in front of him, eyes occasionally glancing to Ziva, but they never meet. Abby bounces to her music absently as she people watches.

"Why are you here again?" McGee asks quietly to Abby, regretting his tone as soon as it slips out.

"I like airports." Abby shrugs simply. "And plus, I like seeing you guys in action."

"We're just following a marine." He takes another look towards Ziva, who is still conversing with the blonde mother.

"Still, sometimes I just need to get out of my lab and smell the roses..." she looks slowly to her left. "Or rather the postcard of roses from the botanical gardens." She motions to a little souvenir shop. "I think I'm gunna buy something." She says getting up.

"Abs, you live here." McGee calls out as she wiggles her way to the stand. But it falls upon deaf ears. He rolls his eyes as he goes back to the magazine, catching a glimpse of Gibbs sipping on his coffee across the terminal.

"Keep her on a tight leash McGee." Gibbs voice comes over his earwig.

"I got her boss." He assures him, taking his eyes off the terminal and onto Abby.

.

"He sounds great." The blonde beams at Ziva's description of her 'husband'.

"He really is." She gives her a soft smile. "And Jacob sounds very dedicated."

The blonde laughs. "Yes, sometimes too dedicated." Her eyes glisten. "Sometimes I hate being married to military, you know?" The baby starts to stir and mother starts bouncing her slowly.

"It is tough, and a risk." Ziva nods. "Guns and bombs and orders. It is hard to keep any kind of relationship with all those."

She laughs a mirthless laugh, tears spilling out. "Yea…but it makes the love stronger." She swallows, kissing her daughter's head softly.

Ziva admires the woman's strength. "This is his third tour?" she asks, trying to jog her memory.

"Yea, first one was when we started dating, and then a year when we first got married…and now this one." She wipes a tear from her cheek.

Ziva takes her hand in hers. "You are strong, very strong." Ziva pauses. "Do not forget that." Her eyes are glassy now, but she smiles back any tears.

Ziva cannot even begin to mirror the woman's emotions, the love for her husband, her daughter, her country. She stays at home, feeling almost unimportant.

But she gives one solider a reason to fight.

"_Flight 345 will be unloading in gate 23."_

_Show time. _

Ziva gets up, parting the blonde as she still has another hour before her husband's flight arrives. She hurries over to the luggage pick up, where Tony is waiting, having stayed in a small office until the flight with their wanted marine arrived.

Ziva spots the marine before Tony and she tugs her earlobe.

McGee searches the crowd frantically, finally spotting their suspect in the crowd. "Boss, he's your two o'clock."

Tony looks dashing in uniform, Ziva has to admit. He pulls off a marine pretty damn good.

His eyes speed over the crowd, passing Ziva twice until he too spots the marine. His eyes finally light up as he meets Ziva's chocolate browns.

"Lisa!" he drops his bags, and takes a few painful steps towards her.

"Tommy!" Ziva matches his fake excitement as she sprints for him.

.

Abby elbows McGee, trying to wipe that smug look off his face.

.

Their tight embrace and double spin attract a crowd. One person claps, a few more follow; but no one passes without smiling.

The marine even watches, with a delighted expression.

"I missed you, so much." The crocodile tears are pouring out of her eyes now as she whispers in his ear.

Tony knows those tears have to come from somewhere.

"So did I." He puts her feet back on the ground, but does not let go, instead, clings on tighter.

Ziva pulls out of his warmth, hands wrapped around his. Their eyes melt into each other's.

Neither moves first, but rather they both come to each other at the same exact time. Ziva's palm is on Tony's cheek and her lips are softly on his. His hands tangle in her hair as he deepens the kiss and he moves his other palm to her neck, brushing her soft, bare skin.

There's a flash of light.

They break apart, breathless, forehead resting against each others. A parade of _aw_s and whistles makes the moment a little more genuine. But nonetheless, it's not the real thing.

.

"Awwww." Abby squealed, palms together and lips spread wide as she could.

"Uck." McGee twisted his face with a huff.

.

They weaved through the crowd, hand in hand. All smiles and touches.

She elbowed him gently. "Straight ahead." She whispers. He spots the suspect.

They follow him, still hand in hand.

He doesn't suspect a thing when Ziva grabs him from behind and cuffs him.

.

_(The Next Day)_

"And there's the power couple now. Living the American dream in their Antebellum home, white picket fence, maybe a golden retriever." McGee goes on as Tony and Ziva came into the bullpen, shoulder to shoulder.

"Oh calm down McMature, it was one kiss." Tony flings his backpack off, sitting down with a huff.

"And what a kiss it was." He mocks, a smug smile plastered on his face.

"It was not _that_ amazing." Ziva shrugs.

The comment stung Tony and he shot her a twisted face. She gave him a tease of a wink once her bottom hit the chair.

"Yea but it was memorable." They are both now wondering why his smile was getting harder to hold back.

Tony gets up, wandering to McGee's desk, half hesitantly. And Ziva's curiosity soon gets the best of her and she soon follows.

"Do you know how many people read _Stars and Stripes_?" he swung a thin newspaper in front of him.

Tony snatched the paper from the probie's hands.

"350,000." McGee beamed.

And on the cover, right corner, there they were, the American couple. A 'husband' reunited with his 'wife' after a year over seas. A fake mushy kiss thrown in with some mixed emotions to get the op. done.

"Oh god." Tony groaned.

Their kiss would be remember for years.

But Ziva was smiling.

Because the bigger picture, their small box covers only the corner of, was of Officer Jacob, reunited with his wife of four years, and meeting for the first time, his two month old daughter.

_Their_ smiles and tears, were all too genuine.

* * *

**Dedicated to all of those brave men and women risking their lives every day for our safety. And then men and women and children that wait strongly at home, giving them a reason to fight. **

**Bless the troops.**

**xoxo **


End file.
